Do the Holy Bible condone Lesbianism

By James Selvaraj Annaswamy

The reason for dealing with this subject is to make a response to those people who argue ONLY on the words instead of pondering on the message being conveyed.

Often the muslims say that since there is no penalty for female homosexuality found in the Mosaic law (but only of male homosexuality or gay relations in Leviticus 20:13 and one more), it implies that the Mosaic law somehow allows lesbianism or overlooks it.

They also argue that if the Mosaic law specifically deals with the issues of penalty on a human female's perverted relation with an animal in Leviticus 20:15-16, they why the pentateuch is mysteriously silent on the matters of lesbianism ?

And keeping the aforementioned things in their minds, they concludes that lesbianism is overlooked in the Mosaic law.

But is the picture really so as the muslims say or assumes ? Do the Mosaic law and the other parts of the Holy Bible overlooks female homosexuality ?

Let us see :-

God’s intention was to create woman for man :-

“Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." Genesis (2:18)

“So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.” Genesis (2:21-24)

Had God wished to introduce any kind of homosexuality or had He intended to advocate lesbianism, He would have said so BUT THAT’S IMMORAL AND FILTHY IN HIS SIGHT OR KNOWLEDGE WHICH IS QUITE OBVIOUS AS THE WORD OF GOD SAYS “Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.”

So that much esteemed is the relation of man and woman in His sight that He is saying that they shall be One flesh. Mere the absence of a particular reference (on lesbianism in the OT) doesn’t rules out the fact that He hates unnatural relations and this is established by the aforementioned references from Leviticus.

In fact, apostle Paul addressed the issue of lesbianism in the NT :-

“ Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error. “ Romans (1:24-27)

Paul is describing about the sexual immorality of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. Its clearly written that females and males EXCHANGED THE NATURAL RELATIONS WITH UNNATURAL ONES AND CONSUMED WITH PASSION FOR ONE ANOTHER (male-male, female-female) and were ultimately punished for the same.

But still there are the stubborn muslims who doesn’t refrains themselves from taking a stab against this also BEING MOVED WITH THEIR EXTREME HATRED TOWARDS GOD’S ONLY TRUE WORD.

They appeals to the few other translations like KJV and others which used the word “Changed “ for the “Exchanged “ in the above quotation from the book of Romans and say that the translators have deliberately translated it as Exchanged instead of changed as the use of changed won’t be letting them to refer this passage to the lesbianism AS THE LADIES COULD HAVE CHANGED THE NATURAL USE OF THEIR SEXES WITH THE ANIMALS ALSO. Hence there isn’t any outcome of these verses speaking of the lesbianism as well apart from the gay relations.

The greek word that is used in the original greek manuscripts and is translated as Changed by some ones and Exchanged by some is “μεταλλάσσω “ or (metallassó). This word can be translated as Changed as well as Exchanged too according to the following quotation from an online scholarly source :-

But still if we may consider the picture from the critic’s point of view and look at the passage having CHANGED in place of EXCHANGED, then also we doesn’t finds any difference.

In the verse 24, its written that :-

“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies AMONG THEMSELVES “

Since its saying about the people of those ancient two cities that they dishonored their bodies AMONG THEMSELVES, this rules out the possibility of the females there had sex with the animals.

Secondly, this cannot be the prostitution as some muslim asserts because prostitution is the act which is a normal (natural) relation as far as the nature is concerned i.e between man and woman whereas this passage is talking of the CHANGE OF NATURAL RELATIONS WITH UNNATURAL.

Since its saying about the people of those ancient two cities that they dishonored their bodies AMONG THEMSELVES, this rules out the possibility of the females there had sex with the animals.

Secondly, this cannot be the prostitution as some muslim asserts because prostitution is the act which is a normal (natural) relation as far as the nature is concerned i.e between man and woman whereas this passage is talking of the CHANGE OF NATURAL RELATIONS WITH UNNATURAL.

Lastly, the passage says :-

“ Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men LIKEWISE gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error.”

The greek word which is translated as LIKEWISE in english is “ὁμοίως “ or (homoiós) and its meaning is :-

“Original Word: ὁμοίως
Part of Speech: Adverb
Transliteration: homoiós
Phonetic Spelling: (hom-oy'-oce)
Short Definition: in like manner
Definition: in like manner, similarly, in the same way, equally.”

The men LIKEWISE THE WOMEN GAVE UP THE NATURAL RELATIONS WITH WOMEN. See that its written “Likewise” which is the comparison of men’s perversion with the women’s perversion. Men perverted and had unnatural sex with men LIKEWISE THE WOMEN WHO BURNT AMONG THEMSELVES WITH PASSION.

Hence we are now in a position to say that Romans (1:24-27) also speaks and condemns the lesbianism as well apart from the gay relations. 1 Corinthians (6:9-10) too says :-

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor SEXUAL PERVERTS , nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God. “

Conclusively, to say that Bible condone lesbianism still will be nothing less then baseless and false
accusation of a dishonest heart who willfully misinterprets the scriptures to do cheap, false and dishonest polemics.

I addressed the matters being raised by this Islamic website on the subject :-